Things To Do With Kids In and Around Solvang

As a kid, I remember going to Solvang with my parents at least a couple of times. D had never been, so we decided to stay a night on our way back home. Solvang is a cute Danish-themed town, with little shops and bakeries lining the streets. I was pretty sure our kids would not last long walking and window-shopping, so I tried to find other things to do. Here is the itinerary I came up with, which worked out well:

This lovely farm has chickens, ducks, goats, and a pig, but the main attraction is the miniature donkeys. Neither D and I are “animal people”, but these donkeys were so friendly and cute! The kids were kind of scared of the goats, but they did pet the mini donkeys.

This farm also has a zonkey—half zebra, half donkey! (It is behind an electric fence, so don’t get too close!)

Now you will do a little backtracking. Head back towards Solvang, and on the right you will see

This ranch features miniature horses! I believe you can only see these guys through the fence, but they are also a sight you do not see everyday. However, it was warming up, so the kids didn’t last too long. I tried to cheer them up by giving them some juice and telling them that the next and final stop would be a park.

Continue backtracking towards the touristy part of Solvang, on Alamo Pintado Road, and you will come across

One of k’s classmate’s mom told me about this place. It is not your run-of-the-mill park, as there are a lot of interesting features to keep the kids occupied. D was glad that there was a shaded resting place for the parents.

The water feature was especially nice on a warm day.

All of these stops are fairly close together, so the driving is minimal. Afterward, you can head back into Solvang proper, and treat yourself to some Danish desserts, which we will cover next.